Things change so quickly

Well this year has been interesting so far. Time is going by faster and faster and in Winter I am always glad - It has been very mild so far and I see this every few years. I still cannot wait until spring arrives though. My birdies will be back and life renews, it is a cycle that never ceases to amaze me. GOD has been good to me and I thank him everyday for my dear family, for keeping them all safe and healthy.
Speaking of health - I have contracted Diabetes. I found it during my annual check-up. So important to have those check-ups. I am lucky and can control it with diet. I am still trying to find my bearings on that. Much of it is managing carbohydrates and portion control, which most Americans need to do. I did find out that if you have family members who have been diabetic that it ups the ante along with certain ethnic groups. Since I am part American Indian along with my English Heritage, I am predisposed. I am not a sweets hound, but I am a carb hound. I have been doing well testing my blood, but I feel like I am always hungry. If I can just get used to that...I will be okay.

A Beautiful Fall Weekend

I want to thank my daughter for the beautiful pic on my blog page. It depicts what it looks like right now in our beautiful Illinois Valley. We have had a great weekend! Pine needles raked - I could help thinking I could make some money on those if I were in North Carolina!!! Gathered some wood to take to Chicken when we visit in a few weeks. Umbrellas and patio furniture put away, plants moved, some repairs made. Got the laundry done and a couple of shelves cleaned and organized. Angel went to the shot clinic yesterday and got the last of her puppy shots. We did not know if she had any as she was given to me, although he said she had some. We just started from scratch to make sure she is protected. So she is good for a year, then her rabies booster and she will be good for 3 years. Dex will make an appointment for her to be spayed this week if possible. I want to get her done before her next Estrus as otherwise we will be waiting another 6 weeks. She should be good to go on our trip to Shorty's & Bill's. I am looking forward to cooking for them and maybe a trip out to Savvy Island. This is my favorite time of the year to visit - it must be because this is my absolute favorite time of the year. Mild days and cool nights - we sleep so good! Thanks again Mishka darling for the fantastic pic of Fall.

Amazing Weather!

This past week has felt like Monsoon season. We have had Thunder and Lightening storms for the last five days. Now this last weekend on Saturday Central Point/Medford had 2-3 feet of water come down in a flash flood. One person's home was hit by lightening and one person was washing dishes at McDonalds and was shocked. No one was hurt, Thank God! Today at work, it started raining again and with lots of Thunder. I called home and Dex was in the shop when the power went out. He went into the house to check on Angel, Buddy and Delta and turned off the computer and I reminded him to stay off the phone. The air is so refreshing and I took a big breath of all those negative ions. I smiled thinking of my family and how much we all loved storms and still do. It is mother nature at her best! We have a couple more days of it and I intend to enjoy every minute of it. Storm on!!!

Four Day Weekend!

It was very exciting to have four days off. A mini vacation of sorts. We actually slept in (until animals demanded to be fed and potty walked). We got many tasks accomplished and managed to not work the whole day. My sis and Mark came out to spend the night. Dex and Mark started on siding the back side of our house and Dex and I finished it the next day. The weather was agreeable, there was plenty of iced tea and water to keep us hydrated.

We decided to let Buddy be an outdoor/indoor cat. We tried to keep him in, but he has the wanderlust that Toms have. Even though he is fixed and we tried to keep him indoors, he was always trying to sneak out. He is so much happier now that he can come and go when he wants. I pray, he doesn't use up his nine lives to fast.

Dex had evidence of a Raccoon visitor in the shop. Prints on the window of Betsy, the 56 Chevy. I warned him of their aggressive nature when cornered and to have a broom handy in case he needs it. There have been no further signs of him, so he must have had a look and left.

I am really enjoying this weather, but know it will come to an end soon and then the hot days will be here. For now, I am enjoying the hammock and swing while I can.

Monday we put our flag out and I said a prayer of thanks for all those brave men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom. I said a special prayer for my loved ones and their friends and families who are making sacrifices everyday for all of us.

Winter Wonderland at Our House

It is absolutely beautiful here at our house. The picture was one I took early this morning. What I really love is the quiet, not a sound. Even the birds were not up yet. They are busy now as I write. I put new suet out and our winter birds, Stellar Jays, Oregon Juncos and Woodpeckers are busy eating their breakfast. I have been working from home all week and it has been so enjoyable as my desk looks out on the feeders and the porch, so I can watch the birds feed and watch the cats watch the birds feed, then when the cats get too cold and decide to come in I get to watch Angel chase the cats! I wish I could send some of this snow we have way across the world to my daughter as she loves it. Don't know if our J would like it though, he is a sun person. Uh Oh, our squirrels are putting on a show now....got to go!

Brrrrrgh - Freezing temps!

Well I made it home in the nick of time on Saturday- followed a school bus all the way home and they made a great trail for me in the snow. It has snowed off and on all day today, but I made breakfast burritos and homemade split pea soup. I love to cook in this weather. Had to clean the satellite dish out once and I will not be going in early to work tomorrow. My youngest was cross country skiing and I was happy when she called and said they made it home okay as I checked the weather cam and it was snowing pretty good where she lives. We do not get severe weather very often so we are not necessarily great drivers in the snow and of course there are always those that thing the bigger the SUV the more invincible they are...Not! Shorty saw many of them in ditches on the side of the road, driving too fast and guess what guys???? Four wheel drive doesn't work on ICE. I am more worried about the temps that will be in the teens this week. I hate Ice, unless it is in my cold drink or someone is designing a sculpture!

Let it Snow!!!

Well our first big snowfall is to happen tonight. I can hardly wait although I am not a fan of driving in it. I have to go to town and will be staying the night tonight in the Rogue Valley. We will see if I make it home tomorrow or not. In any case, I have a good book to read, there is some Hot Buttered Rum fixins at Gma's and I am set. I expect lots of Snowmen and women on the landscape tomorrow, but it is going to get really cold too! About 19 degrees. brrrrrrgh - Santa Weather for sure!

Fall is Here Again!

It is beautiful here right now and just like I like it. Warm comfortable days where you can still get your yardwork done; then cold and frosty nights where you just want to curl up with a good book and have a cup of tea. Thank you daughter for the new pic on my blog header, it totally depicts our beautiful fall. Well, got to go and get those leaves raked! Happy Halloween!

Hotter than Hades

Summer is here! 100 degrees today and promises of 106 by weeks end. I can handle it pretty well as long as there is no humidity and fortunately it is low right now. The routine is get up really early, get watering done outside and get indoors before high noon. I work in an air conditioned office, where I do have to wear my hoody now and then as it gets so cold. It is the ride home that kills me. Directly in the sun all the way home and my little car that has 187,000 miles on it holds up bravely, but I try not to use the AC as it is hard on the small engine and eats gas like a billy goat on a willow tree farm! We keep the house darkened and the little window air conditioner on about 75 and it is pretty comfortable, especially if you are sitting right in front of it like I am right now. Other news - the building has been signed off by the inspectors - finally! I will make Dex and me a batch of strawberry maggies to celebrate and we will pretend we are on a sandy beach somewhere! Now we can start putting stuff away and get organized. Stay cool everyone!!!

What's happening???

Let's see, shop building is up, steps on one door are finished. Dex will be ready to install the big door soon - he made all the hinges himself and it will be like trying to break into Fort Knox when he is done. We got the backyard mowed and umbrella's up, chairs dusted off and cushions placed, hammock and hammock swing are up. It is raining today, so all will be refreshed. We went to town and got the brick to finish the foundation where are hugh compressor will be housed. I looked at some draperie panels that I might buy and tomorrow I am ripping out the carpet so we can get new flooring in. I really do not like carpet and have had wood floors most of my life, I think that is why my children were not sickiy while growing up. I am a little phobic when it comes to germs, especially in carpet. I do like rugs though and will look forward to purchasing one for the living room. Oh, and we go to the dump tomorrow, they now have some recycling too! That's all for now - Oh, I just wish I could hear a chicken bawk, don't you?

Spring????

Well, we thought spring had sprung, but I guess we were all wrong! We had some pretty wild weather the last few days. Wind, rain, snow, sleet hail and some cold temps to go with it. Our pear crops will suffer in the lower elevations as they were already in full bloom and now those flowers lie on the valley floor. The birds loved the weather and surprising they were extremely active, flitting around in the snow and rain from feeder to feeder. They were a delight to watch. I am hoping for a mild summer like last year, so our water holds out and we get the grass planted in front of our porch area. I am anxious to put up the umbrellas and get the solar lights out on the walk, put out new table cloths on the tables and get the chairs clean and the hammocks hung up, so I can spend some lazy afternoons ready my latest book. Go away old man winter, spring is here!

It is 81 degrees!!!

Dex and I got up early to hit the three yard sales in town. Found a nice bracelet for a buck and Dex got a couple of microphones for his studio. We moved a bunch of stuff off the porch today, and washed it down. Raked some leaves and ate our lunch outside at the picnic table - that was so nice. I have washed and sealed the birdbath and need to go put one more coat on it and hopefully it will stay bright for my birdies...speaking of birdies, we discovered a wood pecker family nesting in one of the birdhouses I have on the top of my hammock pole. That is the first time we have had any birds nest in any of our houses. I think I will just let them finish up all the suet cakes before I take the feeders down and give the a good scrubbing and filling with seed. We have fed birds all winter, but I am looking forward to seeing the ones that migrated coming back. Our fawns were out this morning and the squirrels were frolicking in the woodpile...Ah Mother Nature isn't she GRAND!

Pet Peeve - Storms and Speeding Drivers

Well, we have been having quite the stormy weather and I am a big chicken when it comes to driving if there is a slight possibility of ice. I have a small hill to travel up and down about 1600 feet and they keep it gravelled during the bad weather and that's not what I am really afraid of. It is that "other"driver, who must get in front of the pack, travel too fast and too close. I don't understand it especially in bad weather. Do they not want to make it to their destination without possibly killing themselves or someone else? Usually in the end, I meet up with them at the stop light in town and they have made no headway by driving in such a manner. What they have accomplished is putting their life and those of others in danger, wasted gas, made other drivers extra nervous and showed themselve for the stupid idiots they are.

I watched one of those silly shows on TV this weekend, I think it was called "Speeders" and I just could not believe the excuses people tell police when they get pulled over. The number one excuse is they have to go to the bathroom! One woman said "My car doesn't like going under 40 miles an hour - she had a speeding ticket for every year for the last twenty years - I just hope her insurance company was letting her pay for those tickets through her insurance rates. Even her kid in the car in the front seat was concerned and watching the "speed-mom-meter", I thought that was rather interesting, a child filled with anxiety about his mother driving too fast and she, had no concern at all.

Oh well, maybe I should write off all the agitation to old age, but I just don't remember wanting to get in that kind of hurry, especially with my children in the car and maybe that is why I have never had a speeding ticket in my forty two years of driving. And just maybe, that is why both of my girls are such good drivers.

Hopes for 2008

Happy New Year everyone! Ours was a quiet one at home and off the streets, although I did try and lure my sister with a game of late night bingo! The pots are always huge, but our weather has been icy at night and we do not get home to my mothers until 2:00am or so. Good call sis, I stayed home and got some things done and so did she.
My hopes for this year is for people to take a moment from their busy lives to stop and take a look at who is governing them. Just register to vote! Have a say in how you feel about things. At least you will have tried to make a change.

I would love to see the way the primary's are set up changed. I hate the fact that four or five states set the conventions - how about holding all primarys on the same day? Will someone tell me what is wrong with that? It just seems so much more democratic!

No More PORK! Let's pass legislation without it. In fact. let's put all lobbyists out of business.
Term Limits, woohoo, I would vote for that one. Let's put the professional polititians out of business!
Green, Green, Green - let us all do our part this year to make a difference in our planet. We are a nation of consumers, if we are going to consume, let us do it responsibly.
I personally am going to try and get up and move around more, everyday! I work a very sendatary job and IT SUCKS the life out of you. I will try and be more like my children, who are very physically minded!
Pray, I will pray more for my family, country and world. It never hurts and hey all you sceptics out there? What it I am right?
Finally, Love, Love, Love, I will try and do more of that and serve and be more tolerant of all people on this earth....required by my Lord and hey, it just makes you a better person and feel really good!!!
So here is a toast to a new and better year for all people on this planet!

I have high hopes for us all!

My favorite time of the year!

It's here! It's here! Yellow, Gold, Brown, blowing in the air. Golden colors so bright that in twilight, it looks like midday. Burn piles, pumpkins, corn stalks and fresh apples, pies and ghosts, goblins and witches....CANDY - Coats and scarves at the ready, mitten's too....Oh joy, Fall is knocking at my door....Come in, Come in!!!

Finally settling in

Well, Mishka and J are finally in their home in Okinawa and finishing up making it cozy. Chase will be home soon and then the whole family will be together finally!!! Fall has arrived, just that first hint - you know the hot part of the day diminishes early and the evening air has a bit of crispness in it. This is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Fall colors coming, some great wind to blow the leaves and whoopee you don't have to water as much! Dex and I usually try and go see Chicken and William at this time of year in Portland. We usually go to a corn maze, but they have decided to take us on a hike on Sauvie Island near the wildlife preserve. I look forward to seeing all the fabulous birds before many of them migrate south. I am going to start my savings for a trip to Oki as I can hardly wait to see it again and I am hoping my Dex will get to go with me this time! I am also going to try and blog more, now that things a winding down. I love that part, a good book, glass of wine and looking out my window at the woods. My winter bird friends will be back soon too!

North Carolina and Saying Goodbyes

I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I would update you on my trip to my daughter's in North Carolina. Flight out was great, stopped in Minneapolis then on into Raleigh. I was about an hours drive to Mishka's home and I have to say NC is absolutely beautiful. Very green like Oregon, but the pine trees are reminiscent to our Ponderosa Pines, but with much longer needles. We did something fun everyday. Got in lots of geocaching and eating and bird watching. Mishka made several Asian dishes for me, that were soooo....good. She is quite the cook. I did get to get my feet wet in the Atlantic and brought home some great seashells.
The best of all was helping J on a work project. It was so exciting and I will never forget it, and I got to see my first fireflies. I could live there with no problem. NC reeks of southern charm and hospitality and graciousness. Their storms are pretty awesome to watch too, but you don't want to get caught in them, they are downpours! Mishka and J are on their way west. We will have a gathering of friends and family and we will be saying goodbyes again....I hate goodbyes!!!

global warming in Southern Oregon

I finally went down and bought a battery charger for my camera batteries. When I last tried to take a picture, it was of the snowfall we had a few weeks ago - I thought I had got one pic of the snow, but I wasn't sure. So I charged up some batteries and downloaded 1 pic of the snow. Today it is 64 degrees and we have been outside working most of the day, getting our vitamin D and a little color on our skin and more importantly getting lots of yard work done...hope you all are having a nice sunny Sunday...By the way we ended up with a foot of snow from this snowfall - This is a view from our kitchen window looking out to the road and you can see our pump house and the foundation for the building we are about to erect for our old cars we are restoring.

Spring or Bust

I know, I know, we haven't even had real winter yet and here I am longing for Spring. Daffodils, birds chirping, grass and tree buds appearing, the feeling of renewal. Is that too much to ask, so soon? I always get the winter doldrums at this time. The holidays are past and here we are stuck in this winter limbo. Time seems to stand still for me during this time, (except for upcoming taxes) of course. I want to be outside in the sun, digging in the earth, spying on my birds, don't you? My Dex just laughs at me and says we still have a some way to go, but I am impatient with nature. I want to see her burst forth in the glorious way she always does, showing off on her own private runway, her latest fashion. I am ready to buy!

Four Wheel Drive Dummies

You know who I am talking about - you are the ones that have this false sense of security in your SUV or Truck. You think your vehicle will drive on any type of road condition - you also think you can continue with your daily habit of talking on the phone through your morning commute, or eat your breakfast, put on your makeup etc. Well, guess what? Your vehicle works no better than my little commuter car on ICE. So, please quit putting the rest of us in danger and just for a day or two, let the phone ring, it will go to your voice mail. Wait until you get to work and eat your breakfast or eat it at home before you leave. Please do not try and put you mascara on in the car while you are driving, you could cause an accident or POKE YOUR EYE OUT! How about just using a little common sense and quit being so damned Narcissistic - it really isn't all about you!